Tabula Delenda Est...?

I don't read the dreadful "fishwrap" (to use Fr. Z's phrase) often referred to as The Bitter Pill, but which I think is more accurately described as The Suppository. It just upsets me to see a publication which is in such obvious opposition to the Holy Father and the teachings of the Church being allowed to call itself a Catholic newspaper.

Seeing that it is supported by the Hierarchy of England & Wales (it is, after all, on sale openly at the back of both Westminster's and Southwark's Cathedrals) makes me fume.

Generally, as I say, I succeed in avoiding it.

Occasionally, however, it outdoes itself and its erroneous (and heretical) articles need to be challenged.

Like the issue which has tried to suggest that actually the Church's teaching on abortion isn't quite as definitive as we've been led to believe, and that the Church's "current position" is open to further change.

James Preece did a very good piece on this issue. But WHY is it being left to bloggers to challenge heresy?

As far as I can see from the parts of Tina Beattie's article I could bring myself to read, she is trying to suggest that direct abortion of the foetus before ensoulment was considered to be less grave than a later abortion.

"But there are grounds for reconsidering the Catholic Church’s present position on abortion by appealing to the wisdom of its own tradition, which is less rigid than the present hierarchy would have us believe. The claim that all abortion is tantamount to murder finds little support in pre-modern theology. Until the late nineteenth century there was widespread debate as to the morality of early and late abortion, with a widespread consensus that early abortion was a less grave sin than late abortion. This was informed by the belief that ‘ensoulment’ was not simultaneous with conception, but that the early foetus went through various stages of pre-human development before it acquired a soul and became fully human."

It may have been considered "less grave" to abort , but it was still a mortal sin. I believe that the "less grave" distinction was only relevant to the Confessor in deciding what penance should be given. In addition, as Red Maria has pointed out previously in an excellent article, the whole "ensoulment" argument is a massive red herring employed by the pro-abortion lobby when trying to argue against the Church's teaching.

Ensoulment is an Aristotelian concept, which wasn't ever official Church teaching. In contrast, the prohibition against direct abortion has always been official Church teaching - it was something that marked out Christians from the society around them, as noted in the Didache, a document from the first century, and by Tertullian, a second century writer.

The fact that this appalling dissent from Church teaching is being given a platform in what is supposedly a Catholic publication is a disgrace. It does not reflect well on the Hierarchy of England and Wales that this sort of dissent is allowed to pass unchallenged.

It's time that The Suppository was flushed down the toilet.

Admittedly this might be considered unkind to sewer rats.

Crazy Friends Blogging...

The crazy friends I mentioned before - the ones who think cycling all the way to Rome from Sidcup is a good wheeze (I hope not literally) - have started up their own blog, Via Romea as a way of keeping everyone back home up-to-date with their progress.

There go my hopes of a blogging exclusive!

Getting sponsorship for the journey in aid of two such great charities is a tremendously generous way of turning a holiday/pilgrimage into something that bit more special. Do consider helping out if you can.

There is a proper route map on the blog. I have to confess I preferred their original one...

Yet More Photos From Lourdes...

Yes, I did take quite a few photos, and yes, I am determined to share! However, this year I thought I'd arrange the photos according to theme rather than the day on which I took them; hence, I've already done a post on Bartrès, another on the Masses we had in various places, and a post showing off some of the more spectacular photos (IMHO) particularly from the torchlight procession.

I decided that, for this post, I'd take the opportunity to show one or two of the photos I shot around the Domaine, the main shrine area. Yes, I am showing off my snazzy camera's capabilities!!

I love this photo, because of the blue sky and vividly green trees contrasting with the white and gold Basilica. The area is quite empty, the professional photographers have cleared away their benches, and there aren't many people around: most of the pilgrims have had to scoot back to their respective hotels for lunch.

Walking down from the Crypt level, there is a flattish area which provides a perfect spot for photos of the Immaculate Conception Basilica and the Crypt (the dome you can see is part of the Rosary Basilica) and for the Esplanade looking right down to St. Michael's Gate at the far end.

The ramps down are surprisingly steep, and quite hard on the old knees. Anyone pushing a wheelchair up this part is definitely stacking up days off Purgatory...

I paused for breath, and also to take a photo of the bridge over the River Gave, the level of which was considerably lower than the previous year when it actually overflowed the banks!

Rather confusingly, St. Michael's Gate has statues of all three archangels, but it's easy to tell which one is which if you know what to look for...

First, there is St. Michael himself, defeating Satan...

... then there is St. Raphael. He's shown carrying a fish, a reference to the story in the Book of Tobit.

And finally, St. Gabriel is shown carrying a book, some lilies and holding up a hand as if to make a pronouncement...

Finally (for this post) I have this shot of the three Basilicas taken from the area by the water taps, next to the River Gave. Sadly, I got this photo on the one day when the sky was clouding over. Never mind, there's always next year!

My next photo post will be some shots I took in the Grotto itself...

School Fête 2010

Today saw the annual fête of Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School. I believe that it's the major fundraising event for the school each year, for, while schools with poor results get resources thrown at them in an attempt to raise standards, schools which do well are relatively underfunded, presumably because they've managed ok by themselves so far. I like to try and support it, even though I don't have any children of my own.

The parish Union of Catholic Mothers always like to have a cake stall at the fête. We have some seriously good bakers in the UCM, and I try to visit the cake stall early, because otherwise all the cakes get snaffled. This year I succeeded in bagging a cherry and almond cake, a chocolate and coffee cake and a madeira cake. My decision to make a beeline for this stall early on was fully justified: when I returned about half an hour later in search of a fairy cake to accompany my cup of tea, there were only two plates of fairy cakes left, and one very small chocolate cake. The small chocolate cake looked very sorry for itself, abandoned on a pristine white cloth, and I very nearly took pity on it, but reflected that I already had three large cakes, and that four would be just greedy.

Having successfully nabbed my cakes, I went off in search of lunch. It wasn't difficult to find: the clouds of smoke billowing from the furthest corner of the playground rather gave it away. It occurred to me that men generally don't want to have anything to do with the kitchen, but, wave a few bits of charcoal around and they are happy to stand there for hours. I opted for the cheeseburger rather than the hot dogs...

The candy floss stall was very popular, almost as much for the entertainment value as for the candy floss... it was very blustery weather today, and more floss seemed to end up on the stallholders than on the sticks. I was told that I'd missed some really good photo opportunities earlier. I hung around for a bit, just in case, but they seemed to have gotten the hang of it...

As I went around, I passed His Hermeneuticalness talking to Mr. Murphy, the Head Teacher. I didn't notice any camera in evidence, so that means I might get a link later - much needed, as my recent blogging hiatus has seriously affected my stats!

The theme of the fête this year was football, and there were plenty of England flags, footballs, whistles and other football-related memorabilia in evidence, though I did my best to avoid it. Fortunately, it seems that the vuvuzela hadn't quite made an appearance. However, several of the youngsters were very keen on getting their faces painted with flags, or having temporary tattoos, or having their hair sprayed. I have to confess that I didn't quite see the attraction...

I am never lucky when it comes to tombolas and games of chance, but I do like to have a go, even though I often wonder whether it would save time if I just handed the money over and went straight home. There is a first time for everything, however, as I discovered when I played hunt-the-full-bottle-of-wine. It wasn't what I thought - none of the bottles were actually full: instead, some of the cups on top of the bottles had red stickers inside them, indicating that you had won a bottle of wine. I was very surprised to find that I actually won a bottle (that one was full... I checked!)

I'm also a lousy shot. There was one stall which was surprisingly popular: it was just row upon row of old crockery, and there was no prize involved other than the satisfaction of smashing it to smithereens. I hit a few bits, but one of my throws was so far out that the wooden ball went sailing way over the net and into the trees behind. I didn't hear any shouts of agony or outrage, so I don't think I hit anyone...

I also decided to try my luck at the coconut shy, and was very surprised when I succeeded in knocking over one of the coconuts. I was even more surprised when I was presented with a coconut as a prize... as I said to the stallholder, I have no idea how one "gets at" a coconut, as I usually get mine shredded and coated in chocolate... I suspect that there will be quite a few coconut-related accidents this evening, as several people seemed to be wandering around with their prizes...











All in all, a very enjoyable afternoon, despite some inclement weather which sent everyone scurrying for cover...

Football Fever...

Taking full advantage of having my car back, I popped over to see a friend this evening. She hadn't eaten, and so she ordered a pizza, while we both settled down to watch Shrek 3 (a little mindless entertainment at the end of a hard week!)

The pizza was duly delivered by a smiling delivery chap, who clearly had other things on his mind.

"What's the score?" he asked, anxiously, as he handed my friend her dinner and the ice-cream we planned to share as dessert.

We both confessed that we weren't watching the football, as neither of us had the slightest interest in it... and in fact were doing our uttermost to avoid any reference to it.

He looked very confused. "Not watching...?" he faltered.

Then he pulled himself together, handed over the soft drinks we'd ordered, and bid us a cheery goodbye.

"Enjoy the game!" he said.

Ever wonder if you're speaking the same language as everyone else?

More On Those Crazy Friends Of Mine...

Those insane friends who want to cycle to Rome this summer have posted their route map. I'm showing the rest of you as proof of my assertion that they are totally insane.

This sort of insanity deserves support, and you can sponsor them by visiting their charity page. They're doing pretty well - so far they've raised about £150. They're aiming to raise £1,200 which they plan to divide between Mary's Meals and the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative.

I hope to be able to blog on their progress... (maybe even a blogging exclusive!!) ... but I haven't asked them yet!

More Of Those Lourdes Photos...

My snazzy camera is coming up to its first birthday, and I have to say that I have had a tremendous amount of pleasure using it. I haven't really experimented much with it, as the normal point-and-click photos have been pretty good, and I haven't wanted to mess anything up.

Some of the photos I managed to get in Lourdes were very good (even if I do say so myself!)

I took a few at the Torchlight Procession one evening - for some reason it seemed much lighter than in previous years... which is pretty nonsensical, as the pilgrimage is at pretty much the same time of year, and the length of the days is therefore much the same... However, the weather was better, which might have had an effect...

This one was taken just outside the Chapel of St. Michael, as there was a very large Mass being celebrated at the Grotto (I'm not sure which group) with pilgrims even participating on the other side of the Gave River, opposite the Grotto...

And, finally, this was a photo which cried out "postcard" to me, apart from it being slightly crooked. I promise I didn't touch up the colours... Unfortunately, standing at the edge of the area outside the Crypt of the Immaculate Conception Basilica, I couldn't get the whole of the spire into the shot. I shall experiment with a few of my photos to see if I can photoshop it together...

More photos to follow soon!

Justification...

I have discovered that the purpose of my life is to serve as a warning to all my blonde friends.

One such friend (who shall remain nameless, as I wish her to remain my friend) confessed to me that, after reading my blog post on my most recent car-tastrophe, she immediately took her own car in to the garage and asked them to check the oil.

She was down to her last smidgeon... apparently, one more journey to Bluewater and she'd have suffered the same fate.

Ha!

See, it isn't just me...

Reading This Makes My Knee Really Ache...

Three (certifiably insane) young friends of mine are planning to cycle all the way to Rome this summer. That's a distance of 1200 miles, passing through France, Switzerland, and Italy before finally arriving in Rome.

They describe the trip as "a holiday and a pilgrimage" and, though they have already funded the trip for themselves, they thought they'd use the opportunity to raise money for two charities while they were at it. The two charities are Mary's Meals and the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative.

Mary’s Meals provides a staple, daily meal in schools for children in some of the poorest countries in the world, thus fighting poverty through tackling malnutrition and encouraging education. The Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative provides non-judgemental practical, spiritual and emotional support for mothers in the UK, struggling with crisis pregnancy and the prospect of bringing up a child alone.

They promise to keep any sponsors in their prayers en route.

Did I mention that I consider them insane?

However, such generosity of spirit deserves generous support, so, if you can, do please consider donating by visiting the donations page.

Travel Woes... And Respite!

I have been finding things very difficult without a car.

Most of the bus drivers seem to take a perverse delight in braking as sharply as possible and then accelerating for a minuscule distance only to brake sharply again. And please don't get me started on cornering techniques... As a result, I'm having to brace myself (if the bus is crowded, which it generally is) in order to avoid falling over, and my knee and ankle are really reacting badly. I have the ankle strapped with a tubigrip bandage, but the knee has to fend for itself.

Teaching is not a sedentary occupation... by the end of the day, I am in quite a bit of pain.

One of the buses I catch each day has a "Hail & Ride" section, where the driver is supposed to stop anywhere it is safe when someone flags it down. After a very long day, I decided that I would try and flag the bus down rather than limp all the way along to the next official bus stop. It meant a much longer wait, as two different routes stop at the official stop, but my ankle was really sore. I made sure that the spot was a safe one, and that there were no double yellow lines or any other prohibitive road markings, and I perched on a low wall to wait for the bus.

After about fifteen minutes, the bus turned the corner, and I signalled in plenty of time. The bus driver waved his hand as if to say "no chance," then pointed forward to the next bus stop... and drove past. Even if I'd been able-bodied and fit as a flea, I couldn't have gotten to the stop in time. I was not a happy bunny.

Not wishing to risk being ignored again (and knowing that the next Hail & Ride bus wasn't due until 20 minutes later) I limped over to the main bus stop... and was overtaken by one of the other buses...

When I arrived home, over an hour later, there was a beautiful sight to greet me. My little green Hyundai was sitting in the courtyard, and the key had been posted through my letterbox.

I have my car back... I promise to check the oil.

A Few More Photos From Lourdes...

Mass is the central part of the pilgrimage to Lourdes. We were incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to celebrate High Mass twice during our pilgrimage, both times in the Crypt of the parish church, Sacre Coeur.

I managed to take plenty of photos during Mass on the first visit to the Crypt, although not quite as many as usual, as I was responsible for singing the Mass propers (just the Rossini psalm tones, nothing too complicated) and I hadn't quite figured out how to hold the music and the camera at the same time...

It seemed rather strange to have stained glass windows in a Crypt. The entrance to the Crypt is outside the Church, near the back, and there is a steep staircase down into it (it does have a good hand rail.) I noticed people's feet just near the top of the windows, so realised that there must be some sort of basement area outside, though I didn't get time to explore.

On the second visit to the church, I was battling with the sequence Lauda Sion as well as with the Mass propers, as it was the feast of Corpus Christi. When I was first informed that I'd need to sing the sequence, I thought I knew which one it was, and was pretty sure I could manage it. I then discovered that it wasn't what I was thinking of... but was still not too worried, as I thought that the music was probably the same for each of the verses...

... and then I saw the music. It changed every two verses (roughly) ... and there were 24 verses. By the Wednesday evening, I was desperate. Fr. Tim sent me an MP3 file, and I tried to learn it. I couldn't just sing along: the acoustics in the Crypt meant that it had to be sung much more slowly than in the clip. At 3:30am, after falling asleep for five minutes sitting bolt upright with the hymn book in my hands, I realised that I really needed to go to bed...

On reflection, I should have kept my mouth shut, and made it up as I went along.

;-)

James Barton, senior MC from Chislehurst, knew it a bit, Fr. Tim knew it best (but as celebrant he had other stuff to do first) and I had a good stab at it. Between the three of us, we managed quite well, although there was a little faltering round about verse 10...

This seriously interfered with my photographic activities, and I contented myself with taking a shot during Benediction after Mass...

Mass on the first day in Lourdes was in the Glorious Cross chapel. I had been informed by the Domaine staff that this was a replacement for the St. Michael Chapel on the Grotto-side of the Crypt. There was no mention of the chapel anywhere on the Lourdes website, and Google failed to throw any light on its location.

We discovered that the chapel was in what had previously been the Musée Tresor - the museum with old vestments and Mass vessels. Effectively, the chapel was nothing more than a glorified lecture room. It was marginally better than the St. Patrick's Chapel over in the hemicycle (the chapel which looked like a whitewashed garage, or large cupboard) but there wasn't much in it. It is definitely one to avoid...

The candlesticks and altar cards (and possibly the crucifix) were among the items Jonathan (Blackfen's senior MC) had brought with him. For some reason the Lourdes shrine authorities seem to like providing a single large pillar candle and a plant pot for the altars...

On the last day, we had Mass in the St. Gabriel Chapel, on the road-side of the Crypt Chapel. Once again, we provided the candlesticks...

More photos can be seen on my Flickr photostream.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder...

...or should that be: out of sight, out of mind?

I've been incredibly busy this week, and haven't had the time to blog... and when I have had the time, I haven't had the energy.

My car is still without an engine, and I am having to go everywhere by bus. This means that my journey to work, which should take 15 minutes (or 20 minutes if I hit bad traffic) now can take up to an hour and a half. Most of this is time spent standing at the bus stop, so I can't do anything useful (except pray the Rosary) and as teaching involves being on one's feet all day, by the end of it I'm pretty shattered.

Prayers for the speedy restoration of the car would be gratefully appreciated...

Ecumenical Diablog...

An addition to the blogroll, and a worthy one. Ecumenical Diablog is rather fun!

Bartrès...

We organise our own pilgrimage activities in order to keep costs down. For the past few years, we have tried to have some sort of optional afternoon excursion: a visit to the Grottes de Betharram (caves in the Pyrenees) and a trip up to the Pic du Jer on the funicular railway have featured previously.

This year we decided to pay a visit to Bartrès, the village where Bernadette's wet-nurse lived. Bernadette's mother, Louise, was very badly burned when a candle fell on her, and she couldn't breastfeed Bernadette. Marie Laguës, a customer of François Soubirous, had just lost her own child, and she agreed to nurse Bernadette for 5 francs a month, paid in cash or flour. Bernadette stayed with Marie until she was 2 years old.

In the Autumn of 1857, Bernadette returned to Bartrès. The Soubirous family had fallen on hard times, and it was felt that Bernadette, left with severe asthma after contracting cholera, would benefit from the healthier surroundings and better food. It also meant that there would be one less mouth to feed at the Cachot, the old prison building where the Soubirous family was forced to live. Bernadette was sent to work for her old wet-nurse, looking after the children, tending the sheep and doing various jobs around the farm.

Part of the deal struck between the two families was that Bernadette, who hadn't been able to attend school regularly, would be given the chance to go to school and attend catechism classes. Unfortunately, work on the farm took priority. Marie Laguës attempted to teach Bernadette her catechism, but became impatient when Bernadette found it difficult. Finally, the Parish Priest at Bartrès left to join a Benedictine community, and Bernadette realised that there was no chance of making her first Communion at Bartrès. She made the decision to return to Lourdes in January 1858. Three weeks later, Our Lady appeared in the Grotto at Massabielle.

I didn't get a chance to visit the sheepfold, as the path up from the town would have been too steep for me. I did, however, get to visit the parish church. St. Bernadette would have seen this same altarpiece... (ignore the wooden table in front!)

A little side altar to St. Bernadette...

The choir loft of the church...

A confessional... (sadly no longer in use, from the look of it.)

Another side-altar - this one to Our Lady...

I persuaded the group to stand for a photo, as the view from the graveyard was just so perfect...

The Laguës' farmhouse...

The bed where St. Bernadette slept...

Finally, St. Bernadette would wash clothes here...

Next year, we are going to see if it will be possible to celebrate Mass in the church in Bartrès. The opportunity to attend Mass in the church St. Bernadette knew and loved will be a very special one.